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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26595535">A Queen's Adoration</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustsroses/pseuds/stardustsroses'>stardustsroses</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Folk of the Air - Holly Black</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 1: The Cruel Prince, Book 2: The Wicked King, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Loving Marriage, Post-Book 3: The Queen of Nothing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:02:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26595535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustsroses/pseuds/stardustsroses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cardan Greenbriar knows that to earn a Queen’s adoration, one must accomplish three things: first, one must bow; second, one must kneel; third, one must love her unconditionally. And he’s all too pleased to tick every box.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>219</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Queen's Adoration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The autumn equinox painted the isles of Elfhame shades of orange, yellow and brown, the warmth apparent even during the darkest hours of night. Though the last forest-green leaves had already fallen from their branches, and were now crumbling between the steps of deer and squirrels, the remainders of summer could still be felt in the gentle, warm breezes and balmy nights.</p>
<p>          From inside the massive mound where the Palace of Elfhame stood, came sounds of revelry. Fae and creatures alike joined hands in circle dances to bring forth both luck and happiness in the upcoming season. But any reason to throw a party would always suffice.</p>
<p>          Through panes of smooth crystal came dawn’s light, mixing with the candles burning in every corner of the hall and giving the Palace a dim, almost eery atmosphere. Behind a glass of hazy smoke, the Queen of Faerie sat on her throne, her cheeks red from dancing and from the heat. And though her King was quite busy pulling strings with other courts, his eyes kept straying to her – much to her obliviousness.</p>
<p>          His spine straightened when he saw that blush on her cheeks.</p>
<p>          Cardan’s mouth parted at the sight of her.</p>
<p>          Her eyes were alight, burning, and he could see that flush cascading down her jewelled neck, further down, down, disappearing underneath her dress. He was exceptionally aware of every breath she took, every rise and fall of her chest, of every blink, every lick of her lips. But Jude’s attention was clearly somewhere else, and her eyes had yet to land on him.</p>
<p>          His fascination continued as his gaze travelled over her heart-shaped face. She smiled at someone – Viviane – and her cheeks flushed again in quiet happiness. Cardan’s throat closed. He felt his muscles tighten at the bottom of his stomach, felt his fingers begin to itch in a familiar way, and his mouth become dry with every second that passed.</p>
<p>          And all because of that damned blush.</p>
<p>          All because it reminded him…</p>
<p>          It reminded him of wonderfully wicked things.</p>
<p>          Jude panting above him, his nails digging into her waist, leaving marks for him to kiss later. Jude gasping against his neck, her murmurs as she begs him to go deeper, harder, faster, to never stop his ravishing, endless torture.</p>
<p>          Cardan got so caught up in his wife and the feelings she rose in him, that he forgot himself. He forgot himself <em>entirely</em>. He forgot his name, his need to keep breathing, and the creature he had been talking to, so when that voice came back to him, trying to direct his eyes away from the Queen, Cardan simply waved whoever it was away, and muttered a, “Off with you, now.”</p>
<p>          “But, Your Majesty…”</p>
<p>          “<em>Away</em>.”</p>
<p>          Courtiers scurried away from him and his dark tone, and, as if he’d called her name, Jude finally found his eyes, her gaze parting the crowd, erasing anything and everything that might have stood in their way.</p>
<p>          As their eyes met, Cardan saw the slight surprise in the gentle raise of her brows, as if she still never dared to expect him to be staring, even if he constantly was. He saw the way she swallowed, hard, the way her fists closed on the throne’s arms. His heart constricted in delight at her reaction. She was stiff, frozen in place.</p>
<p>          Wanting.</p>
<p>          Cardan didn’t think twice about it. She turned his self-control into splinters – always. His lips spread into a smile, and he moved his head ever so slowly to the side. <em>Come</em>, that gesture said. <em>Please</em>.</p>
<p>          He expected her to hesitate, but to his eternal surprise, Jude climbed off the dais, ignoring whoever stood in her path. The music got louder and louder, muffling the embarrassingly loud drum of his heart, and all around them, their Court continued with their dancing and drinking and debauchery, while the High King and High Queen slipped out of the Palace unheard, unseen, unnoticed.</p>
<p>          The early breeze kissed their cheeks, and Jude seemed to breathe a sigh of relief the moment their hands met. They climbed the large hill hand in hand, laughing under their breaths as they went, up, up, toward the tree, and only stopped when they reached the very top. The tree’s branches were so heavy that they sloped down, almost forming a tent around them, hiding them from the view of their world, but not hiding the world from them.</p>
<p>          Jude and Cardan sat beside one another, their backs against the large trunk, their hands clasped together. Jude breathed in, then tilted her head back, her eyes zigzagging across the stubborn stars that refused to disappear. Dark blue skies still hovered above.</p>
<p>          Cardan’s gaze never left her.</p>
<p>          Jude finally lifted her eyes to him.</p>
<p>          Dawn was on the horizon, and sunlight rose in his eyes.</p>
<p>          Cardan brought her hand to his mouth, kissing every knuckle. She was warm, so warm, and he could hear the way her heart stumbled through every kiss he placed on her skin.</p>
<p>          The first sunlight reflected on her eyes, turning them into living flames. Cardan turned his gaze to the horizon, then to her. His smile was nothing short of mischievous.</p>
<p>          “Come.”</p>
<p>          “Where?”</p>
<p>          Cardan helped her up, one hand around her waist, another holding her hand. “Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>          Jude’s breath caught. His eyes were deep with emotion. “Yes,” she whispered.</p>
<p>          He kissed her cheek briefly. Then looked up. “Come on, then.”</p>
<p>          She watched him climb the tree with an agility that surprised her. Jude breathed out a scoff, then shook her head. “You want me to climb a tree with you?”</p>
<p>          He looked down at her, his hair falling over his eyes slightly. “Let me show you.” He held out a hand toward her. “You said you trusted me. Then <em>trust</em> me, Jude.”</p>
<p>          Jude watched him for a second too long, but eventually gave in. She took his hand, though she needed no help to climb the rest of the way. The branches were old, but strong and thick, and it while it managed to quicken her breath, it was no task climbing all the way up, with Cardan a branch or two ahead of her, leading the way.</p>
<p>          He sat on one of the last branches, then held out his hand again, his smile beckoning. Jude managed to swing one of her legs over the branch, and then he was pulling her close, one arm around her lower back, until she was seated beside him, staring at her world from a new perspective.</p>
<p>          She could see <em>everything</em>.</p>
<p>          The isles, the sea, the mountains beyond. It was so vast, and with the sun rising above those mountains slowly, the skies still blushing dark blue with the night’s kiss, it was even more beautiful than she could ever imagine.</p>
<p>          This was her home.</p>
<p>          Just as the King sitting beside her was her home.</p>
<p>          Jude allowed herself to rest her head against his shoulder, and Cardan’s lips touched the top of her head, his tail swing back and forth behind them, showing what Cardan sometimes had a hard time showing.</p>
<p>Joy.</p>
<p>          Utter and complete joy.</p>
<p>          They could still hear the revelry underground. They would spend the rest of the day entertained by their own dances and songs, while the King and Queen and their united hearts remained, for the time being, hidden in this peaceful embrace.</p>
<p>          When they decided to come down, dawn was already cutting through the skies, and the stars had disappeared. Though Jude took no time to come down, Cardan’s feet hit the ground first, and she allowed him to bring her down from the last branch.</p>
<p>          Though in that moment, when his hands held her waist, and her body slid against his in the most perfect way, Jude could feel it again – her blood rising, her body reacting to his almost immediately, like two stars drawn to one another. She didn’t miss the way her husband’s breath caught, nor the way his eyes lowered to her lips.</p>
<p>          The air between them settled like dust, like dead leaves fluttering to the ground. She was all too aware of Cardan’s breathing, of his hands still gripping her waist, his thumbs dragging up and down her ribcage. Just as he was aware of her heart’s every beat, every place her eyes lingered.</p>
<p>          Cardan pulled her closer, and closer, erasing the distance between them. “I could not keep my eyes away from you the entire night,” he said, leaning in to her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. Jude tingled, all over. “I cannot seem to keep my hands to myself either, wife.”</p>
<p>          She had an army words in her mouth, already formed and waiting her command. But it seemed that the moment Cardan’s tongue touched her ear lobe, she lost her grip on her thoughts. She could feel her skin burning, begging for his hands, his mouth, his words.</p>
<p>          “This,” he said, dragging his mouth to her cheek, and Jude took her lip between her teeth at the feel of his kiss, at the way his fingers played with the strings of her bodice, “those cheeks is what started it all.”</p>
<p>          She was done waiting.</p>
<p>          Jude’s eyes opened, and her hands made a quick work of his shirt. She felt him grinning against her, and then came his soft laughter, a croaky sort of sound that turned her stomach into knots that she couldn’t wait for him to untangle.</p>
<p>          His shirt fell on the floor, and Cardan caught her lips before she could think what other parts of him she would like to see next.</p>
<p>          His kiss burned her. Jude felt feverish, partly from summer’s claws still digging into the earth, but mostly from him. There was no ending to her desire for him. It was a thirst she couldn’t quench, no matter how many times she had him, but it was also a terrible, unsatiable drug – the more she had, the more she wanted.</p>
<p>          She pressed him against the tree trunk, and Cardan let out a sound that made her senses come alive. She broke their kiss, running her hands down his chest to stop at the buttons of his trousers. Cardan had a stupid, dizzyingly beautiful smile on his face, and Jude didn’t know what to do with herself. Her lips touched the inside of his collarbone, and he ran his fingers through her hair, pulling it down. Three pins fell on the grass before Jude could wonder how he’d managed to pull them out that quick, and before she had a chance to pry open the buttons of his trousers, Cardan had turned them, and now her back was against the tree.</p>
<p>          It was so fast that Jude saw black spots over her vision.</p>
<p>          A gasp fell from her open mouth. Cardan’s lips drew a pathway up her neck, following the column of her throat, and when her hands tried to get back to work, he gripped them, hard, ten of his fingers squeezing both her wrists, and then her hands were up, above her head, feeling the ridges and jagged edges of the trunk behind her. His grip was strong enough that Jude couldn’t move an inch. When she tried to, his hips pinned her in place.</p>
<p>          A whimper fell from her lips, and embarrassment at her desperation coated her cheeks, so she let her forehead fall on his shoulder, her lips touching his neck.</p>
<p>          Cardan muffled a laugh. “Are you hiding from me, Jude?”</p>
<p>          She couldn’t take the sweet pressure between her legs, not when he pressed her harder and harder against the tree, his hipbones digging into the bottom of her stomach.</p>
<p>          All she could muster was an answering breath that fell out of her mouth. Her loose hair tangled around her warm face, moisture gathering along her forehead.</p>
<p>          “Shall we drop our pretences now, my love?” Cardan whispered against her mouth. “You allow yourself to make all those delicious noises you want to make, and I,” he pecked her lips, so briefly, with so much longing, “I shall reward you. Yes?”</p>
<p>          “Yes,” she moaned.</p>
<p>          “Good,” Cardan said, and took her lips again. Jude whimpered once more against his mouth.</p>
<p>          It was a relief to finally give in. She’d worn so many layers before, and had armed herself with so many knives. To succumb to what she craved without doubt lingering in the back of her mind…</p>
<p>          It made her feel alive.</p>
<p>          And it wasn’t about putting herself into his power, like Jude had once believed. Letting him take the lead did not mean that she would end up with a rope around her throat – he’d taught her that. And though it took some time… it had also led them here.</p>
<p>          To a place where she could say, “<em>Please</em>.”</p>
<p>          And not feel shame.</p>
<p>          And not feel like she’d lost a war.</p>
<p>          And not feel like-</p>
<p>          <em>Less</em>.</p>
<p>          Cardan pulled back only a little to look into her eyes, releasing her hands. But Jude could not bear not to have him close. She touched his cheeks, brought him closer, and stared into his eyes, the same way he’d stared into hers so many times before, allowing her heart to soar, allowing her gaze to show him everything at once.</p>
<p>          The High King leaned into her touch, his hair falling over his eyes once again. He kissed one palm, then the other. Softly, against her skin, he said, “I adore you.”</p>
<p>          Jude swallowed hard.</p>
<p>          “I want you to adore me,” he continued, so fervently, bowing his head to kiss her lips. Once, twice. Before he trailed a path down her jawline, her neck, her chest. He continued further down, over her dress, until he was kneeling before her, his eyes shining up at her.</p>
<p>          “I want you,” Jude whispered.</p>
<p>          His smile was teasing. “Is that you commanding me?”</p>
<p>          “It’s me asking.” She paused, biting the inside of her cheek when she felt his hand slip under her dress, dragging over her stockings, up to her thigh. Her voice was nothing more than a breath. “Begging.”</p>
<p>          “As much as I love you begging for me,” Cardan said, placing a kiss at the bottom of her stomach – even over her dress, it made her tremble, “The chances I will deny you are very slim, you know that.”</p>
<p>          His clever fingers undid her bodice, and it fell apart, along with her dress. She was left in a thigh-length, simple shift, thin and almost transparent – to her husband’s obvious delight. He kissed the end of her stockings on each side, and Jude watched him with tentative dark eyes. The fabric of her shift bunched up to her waist as Cardan’s hands explored her body. Her thighs ached as Cardan kissed the line of her stomach, right above her undergarments.</p>
<p>          With one swift stroke, he pulled them down.</p>
<p>          He looked up, grinning like a god about to strike deadly thunder, and whispered, “I love you.” His hand skimmed the back of her leg, only to hunch it over his shoulder. A sound broke free from her, and Jude placed her hands on his shoulders to settle herself, her heart hammering in her chest. “I love you,” he repeated, his voice lowering, tender now, before he turned his head and kissed the inside of her thigh.</p>
<p>          “I love you,” she whispered back, her brows scrunching up.</p>
<p>          “It pains me that you will never know the level of my devotion, not truly,” he said, speaking against her skin. “Or of my love.”</p>
<p>          “I do,” Jude murmured. “I do know.”</p>
<p>          “No,” he said, one hand holding the fabric of her shift, the other digging into her thigh. “No words would suffice. No actions would be deemed worthy. But I can still try.” He looked up only once more. “I will keep trying to show you.”</p>
<p>          He licked her, long and soft and slow, and Jude kept her teeth gritted, her eyes fluttering shut, torn between wanting to watch him obliterate her and not being able to stand the amount of pleasure that coursed through her.</p>
<p>          “Let me hear you,” he whispered. Jude bit her lip, shaking her head, no words on her mouth. “No one will know, Jude.”</p>
<p>          Her name on his mouth, spoken so hotly against her, so filthily, made her moan his own name, her fingers digging into his shoulders as Cardan’s tongue made her remember why she would never be able to win against this version of him. But breaking apart was so beautiful when she did it with his head between her thighs.</p>
<p>          Cardan stopped kissing her momentarily, looking up and taking her in – the flushed cheeks, the parted red lips, the half-closed eyes. “Tell me again,” he whispered. “Tell me.”</p>
<p>          Instead of answering, Jude pulled her leg back, and kneeled in front of him, too, taking his face in her hands. She was breathless, her eyes dark with want for him, but there was a tenderness shining there that Cardan could not miss. He traced her own cheek with the back of his hand, wondering how he’d ever managed to live through a day where he didn’t have his queen in his arms.</p>
<p>          “I love you,” Jude said again, her voice a whisper against the rattling of the leaves above them. Wind pushed her hair away from her face, and Cardan’s thumb ran across her bottom lip, as he stared at her, mesmerized. “And I want you.”</p>
<p>          “I would kneel an abominable amount of times just to hear those words from you.”</p>
<p>          “You don’t need to kneel for me,” she breathed.</p>
<p>          “It’s all I ever want to do,” Cardan said, and hissed softly when Jude took his thumb between her teeth. “You taste better than any wine.” He watched as his wife’s mouth fell opened, and then closed around his thumb, licking the pad of his finger. “Lie back.”</p>
<p>          Jude did as she was told, finding relief in his loving commands. She would gladly let him take the reins now. Her curious mind strayed to unspeakable scenarios as Cardan looked down at her. From beneath him, Jude watched as his curls swayed with the breeze, sunlight streaming down on them through the branches of the tree.</p>
<p>          He watched her as if she might be a fantasy. A wild need to pull him to her, and assure him that she was very much real, and very much in love with him, and very much ready for him tugged at her, but Jude restrained herself, settling for watching him back as Cardan ran his hands up her legs, then parting them rather abruptly.</p>
<p>          “Come here,” she whispered.</p>
<p>          He lowered himself onto her, lips against her jaw, while Jude’s hands tugged at his buttons impatiently. He laughed darkly against her ear, but as soon as Jude managed to pull his buttons open, he kissed her, making her legs tighten around him.</p>
<p>          “Jude,” he said.</p>
<p>          She looked up, lips bruised and puckered, her hand slipping underneath his trousers. Cardan grunted as she gripped him, hard and soft all at once, her eyes never leaving his.</p>
<p>          “You’re mine,” she said against his ear.</p>
<p>          Cardan’s splayed his hands on either side of her head, his fingers digging into the tree roots that sprouted above the surface.</p>
<p>          “Jude,” he said again, nose skimming her jaw.</p>
<p>          “Say it,” Jude murmured, squeezing him at the tip. “Tell me.”</p>
<p>          Cardan led one of his hands to her chin, and jerked it toward him. Jude smiled, and every bit of his mangled heart disintegrated right then and there. He snarled, so close to her mouth, “You are mine.”</p>
<p>          Jude pulled him closer, her moans muffled by his kiss as their bodies finally joined.</p>
<p>          Together they moved, slowly at first, sharing gasps and murmured confessions, their gazes crossing as Cardan’s thrusts increased. Her body shook and trembled as he moved, and Jude’s head was thrown back on the grass, her throat exposed to him.</p>
<p>          It was such a beautiful sight that Cardan thought he might try his hand at painting it, though he could have never done it justice. His teeth dragged along her throat. “Oh,” Jude whispered, eyes falling closed, as her body gave in to him.</p>
<p>          Her legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him closer, much closer, and Cardan needed something real and solid to hold on to so he wouldn’t lose his grip on this world, so one of his hands dug into her thigh, squeezing her the soft skin and the hard muscle there. At Jude’s gentle plea, he gave her everything – hard, breathtaking thrusts that had her sinking her own nails into his shoulders so hard that she almost broke skin.     </p>
<p>          There was nothing that compared to this.</p>
<p>          To her.</p>
<p>          “I love you,” Jude said under her breath, against the skin of his neck. “I love you. I love you.”</p>
<p>          The words were enough to undo him.</p>
<p>          At feeling him break, Jude’s body contorted beneath him, her thighs clamping down, a string of filthy curses falling from her mouth in ragged breaths.</p>
<p>          Cardan struggled to hold his own weight, but Jude didn’t seem to mind him resting his head on her shoulder, his lips brushing her neck, so softly. In the aftermath, he felt her legs shaking so badly that they fell limp on his sides. He ran a hand over her thigh, dragging his fingers down to her knee, up and down, so slowly, until her body seemed to ease, until the trembling stopped.</p>
<p>          He could never speak afterwards, and could barely think. Neither could Jude. She breathed slow, regaining her breath, calming her heart, her eyes opening up to blue skies and black eyes. Exhausted, she heaved a sigh. Afraid of hurting her, Cardan began to pull back, but Jude kept him where he was, one arm wrapping around his shoulders, and her legs crossing over his lower back again.</p>
<p>          “Stay here,” she whispered, “for just a moment.”</p>
<p>          Cardan obeyed, then licked up a stripe up her throat, making her squirm underneath him, laughing softly. He pulled back to stare at her, his thumb on her cheek.</p>
<p>          There was no need for words.</p>
<p>          Not when Jude looked at him like that.</p>
<p>          Cardan returned her gaze, then bent down, kissing her slowly. He’d take her back to their royal rooms, and he’d do this again, and again, and again, taking his time to worship her for as long as his name was still on her mouth followed by a plea.</p>
<p>          He pulled a stray leaf from her hair and smiled as she watched him. As if she’d read his thoughts, Jude said, “Let’s retire to our rooms?”</p>
<p>          Cardan leaned down again, pecking her lips time and time again, whispering, “Is that what the queen desires?”</p>
<p>          “The queen desires you,” she said. “Only you.”             </p>
<p>          “Ah,” Cardan smiled conspiratorially, his hand coming to rest at the nap of her neck, “Even after…” he adjusted his hips, and Jude let out the most delicious groan he’d ever heard, “… all this?”</p>
<p>          “Hum.” His queen’s arms lazily wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in, and he felt her nod, before she took his earlobe between her sharp teeth.</p>
<p>          Cardan hissed softly, feeling himself harden inside of her. Jude felt it too, for her hips moved, just a little, wanting to feel him. Cardan turned them, rolling so his back was against the grass and Jude was lying on top of him. He smiled to himself as she slowly kissed his neck, lazy hands drifting from his chest to his hair, fingers tangling in the strands.</p>
<p>          The lazy aftermath never failed to make his heart soft. Jude was as drunk on him as he was on her, and her exhaustion made for small, tender touches and dragged-out kisses. This time was not any different.</p>
<p>          Then she sat up, watching him. One of the straps of her shift had fallen from her shoulder, and her hair was loose and curling around her face, and Cardan was positive he’d never seen anything more beautiful.</p>
<p>          “Let’s go back,” she whispered, something enticing at the end of those words, in the way she shifted her hips this way and that.</p>
<p>          Cardan gritted his teeth, hands coming to rest at her hips. Then Jude’s eyes darted from him to the grass around him. Her hips settled, her brows lifting slightly.</p>
<p>          Cardan followed her gaze.</p>
<p>          All around, following the shape of them both, wildflowers grew, their white petals turning towards the sun. In a season where everything was supposed to die, he’d made them come alive.</p>
<p>          Jude let out a little impressed sigh, her lips parting.</p>
<p>          Cardan sat up, pulling her closer. “My love.”</p>
<p>          “My king,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around him again.</p>
<p>          “Wife,” he smiled.</p>
<p>          Jude traced his cheek. “Husband.”</p>
<p>Cardan rested his forehead against hers, and amongst all that colourful life they’d created, Cardan said, “Just one more time.”</p>
<p>Jude smiled, then said, “I love you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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